LET’S MOVE! Early Childhood Strategies to Increase Physical Activity using Children’s Literature as a Springboard by Barbara Trube, Ed.D.

LET’S MOVE LET’S MOVE is a three- tiered approach to increasing motor activity in early childhood classrooms. LET’S MOVE is a series of strategies integrating movement with language and literacy learning in prekindergarten

LET’S MOVE uses movement to increase understanding of and encourage use of rich vocabulary, that is introduced in extraordinary themes and active experience projects.

LET’S MOVE promotes motor skill acquisition – an essential goal of any program that addresses the needs of the whole child. As children acquire skills, they develop awareness of: space (where the body moves), effort (how the body moves) and relationships of body parts, objects and people.

LET’S MOVE promotes literature-based active learning experiences. Quality children's literature can: spark a range of motor responses stimulate imagination increase creativity (fluency, flexibility, elaboration, originality) elicit playful interaction with story elements

incorporates best practice during interactive LET’S MOVE addresses all domains of learning and incorporates best practice during interactive movement, or motor activity stations, and/or a motor learning laboratory.

Daily physical activity is important! Educators plan for daily physical activity because movement is essential for children’s growth and development in all domains: Cognitive Social Emotional Physical Domains work together to facilitate learning.

Planning for physical activity is purposeful and intentional! “Development in one domain influences and is influenced by development in other domains.” (NAEYC) Brain research supports linkages between cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.

The National Research Council (2001) reports in Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers that “quality preschool programs address cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, and because young children vary considerably in each of these domains, teaching strategies need to be adapted to meet the specific needs and prior knowledge and understanding of individuals and groups of children.” (p. 224) Follow Universal Design for Learning principles! Activities are planned with all children in mind.

Proactive early childhood programs meet the activity needs of all children. Motor skill development and children’s attitudes toward motor learning are established in the early years. Exercise habits become established during childhood. Increasing physical activity opportunities each day provides important health benefits for all children.

Three Tiers to implementation of LET’S MOVE Three Tiers – Based on themes in children’s literature are: Tier I: Interactive Movement Tier II: Motor Activity Station(s) Tier III: Motor Learning Laboratory / Obstacle Course

Interactive Movement (IM) IM takes place during a read aloud, shared reading, chant or fingerplay. Children react to story elements (plot, setting, character, theme) using physical activity. Elements of movement (time, force, flow, space, body) are explored as children respond to a selection or selections of children’s literature.

Interactive Movement with Reading and Chanting

Motor Activity Station (MAS) A MAS is an area of the indoor or outdoor classroom where movements are performed. MASs give children non locomotor, locomotor and perceptual motor experiences that use fine, gross and manipulative movement opportunities.

MASs promote Vocabulary Development Basing motor development (fine, gross, perceptual) activities on themes in children's literature helps teachers extend children's movement-related vocabularies: children talk about movement concepts children experience elements of movement

MAS promote Vocabulary Information is presented and reinforced in the context of children’s daily experiences through strategies: non-verbal verbal kinesthetic visual

Movement experiences facilitate learning in all domains.

Systematic physical activity assures motor learning and development. Planning systematic physical activity assures time for fundamental movement skill development through : Engagement Practice Refinement Integration Automaticity Coordination Other

Motor Learning Laboratory (MLL) A MLL incorporates mini lab-like areas or stations in the classroom’s indoor and/or outdoor physical environments where movement activities are based on themes supported by children’s literature.

A MLL includes safe and developmentally appropriate areas for exploring, practicing and refining gross, fine and manipulative motor activities to enhance coordination, balance, visual spatial integration, endurance, flexibility, agility, and strength.

Highland Survival Island Adventure MLLs incorporate information from a song, poem, story/several stories that may be fiction or non-fiction. These selections inspire and prompt movement base on themes, plots, characters and settings.

Survival Test: Crossing the Snake Pit

Implications for incorporating daily physical activity through LET’S MOVE Young children learn best by doing; Movement programs are success oriented; Successful completion of motor tasks promote feelings of competence; Motor exploration (process) is more important than performance (product); Integrated content areas have greater relevance than an isolated content area. A set of prekindergarten standards are Available from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)

NASPE Motor Skills/Standard 1 All students will demonstrate the use of fundamental skills and motor patterns. Fundamental Movement Skills: Movement patterns that involve different body parts: legs arms trunk head

Fundamental Motor Skills Running Hopping Catching Throwing Striking Balancing Other

Fundamental Motor Skills are… Foundational movements and precursor patterns leading to more specialized and complex skills used in: games sports dance gymnastics outdoor education physical recreation

NASPE Learning Concepts/Standard 2 All students will begin to understand and develop a vocabulary of basic concepts associated with movement, and use them to guide their performance.

NASPE Active Lifestyle/Standard 3 All students will participate in at least one activity they enjoy that is associated with each component of fitness.

NASPE Physically Fit Standard 4 All students will have fun participating in health-enhancing activities which promote physical fitness.

NASPE Personal & Social Skills Standard 5 All students will demonstrate responsible personal and social behaviors in physical activity settings.

NASPE Diversity Standard 6 All students will demonstrate cooperation, sharing and consideration of others, in a physical activity setting, regardless of differences among them.

Values Physical Activity Standard 7 All students will begin to show enjoyment and self expression through interactions with others during a variety of physical activities.

Credits Huntington Elementary Summer Kindergarten Jump Start (Mona Kellar, Caridi Detty) Ohio University – Chillicothe Teacher Candidates (Julia Bateman, Carlene Behana, Renee Borland, Heather Clark, Rachel Finley, Sharon McComas, Emily Park, Trina Reynolds, Heather Tarlton, Tara Williams) Pickaway County Head Start (Ms Kim, Donna Solvey) Ross County CAO Head Start Ross County Joint Vocational School Preschool Program (Connie Page, Sally Simmons) Scioto County Head Start & ELI Programs for Highland Survival Island Adventure (Sarah Sloan & Teachers) Unioto Elementary Summer Kindergarten Jump Start (Linda Collins, Linda Miller) YMCA Washington Courthouse (Melissa Smith)